Controlling device for refrigerating apparatus.



G. A. CASE.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION men SEPT-3.1914.

1,162,348. Patented NOV. 30, 1915.

W/(M :20 a. e, 61% W6 if UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. GASE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, ."BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO' THE ICELESS MACHINE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

Application filed September 3, 1914. Serial No. 859,966.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. GAsE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Controlling Devices for Refrigerating Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. This invention relates to devices for controlling the supply of cooling and heating media in a refrigerating apparatus of the absorption type, such, for example, as is shown, described and claimed in the application of Harrison H. Southworth No. 837,118, filed May 8th, 1914. In such apparatus there is provided a generator-absorber and a condenser for the anhydrous ammonia driven off from the generator-absorber, the latter acting alternately as a generator and an absorber, being heated by fuel gas and cooled by water. The controlling device acts to change the operation of the apparatus from generation to absorption by shutting off the gas and turning on the water, and vice versa. It is dependent for its op eration on conditions existing inthe generator-absorber and in the condenser.

In the form I prefer to use, the change from generation to absorption, and vice versa, is effected by means of a thermostat in the generator-absorber and a pressure device connected with the condenser. The thermostat operates upon a predetermined degree of heat (which correspondsto a predetermined degree of weakness of solution) being reached in the generator and actuates the mechanism which shuts OK the heat and starts the absorbing; and the pressure device operates by the diminution in condenser pressure which results from the liquid anhydrous ammonia being entirely exhausted and actuates mechanism which turns on the heat and stops the absorbing. As the temperature of the water used to cool the condenser varies with changes of seasons, being ordinarilymuch cooler in winter than in summer, and varies also with different localities, and as the temperature within the condenser becomes substantially commensurate with that of the cooling water, and as the pressure of the liquid anhydrous ammonia in the condenser varies in accordance with the temperature thereof, it follows that the machine will be operated at a much higher condenser pressure in summer or in southern localities than in winter or 1n northern localities.

Now, as it is the drop in condenser pressure which initiates the termination of the absorption period, it is obvious that the point of shifting must correspond to a lower pressure than that actually obtained in the condenser. Hence, if the machine were set with the shift occurring at a low enough pressure to operate in winter there would be an undesirably long delay in the summer time while the pressure dropped from the hlgh summer rate to the releasing point; while, on the other hand, if the releasing point were high enough to be most eflicient in summer it would be higher than the con denser pressure which could be reached in Winter, and thus there would be no shifting operation.

As it is desirable to have the absorption period terminate quickly after the exhaustion of liquid refrigerant from the condenser, it has been the custom to manually ad ust the pressure device for difierent localities and readjust it as the seasons vary,

so that a comparatively small fall of pressure will result in efi'ecting the shift desired. The present'invention has been devised to avoid the necessity of this manual adjustment and re-adjustment, and it accomplishes this by providing a device coacting with the pressure device referred to and variable according to the temperature of the cooling water. This device accordingly insures the reversal taking place after the condenser pressure has dropped the desired amount, irrespective of what that condenser pressure was at the beginning of the drop, and, accordingly, it is unnecessary to make manual adjustments for diflerent condenser pressures which are consequent upon the different temperatures of the cooling water.

A convenient apparatus for accomplishing the result referred to is shown in the accompanying drawings, described in the followmg'specificationand the essential character?" istics are set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 isaside elevation, partly in section, of a refrigerating apparatus such as shown and described in the- Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is'a detail 'of the cooperating controlling devices, being a sectional elevation looking in the opposite direction to that of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals, 5 indicates the generator-ab sorber, 6 a burner pipe for fuel gas for heating the generator-absorber, and 8 indicates the condenser connected with the generatorabsorber by pipes 9 leading upwardly therefrom through a suitable check valve 10 and a pipe 11. The generator-absorber is preferably cooled byv a water pipe 12 mounted above the same and having suitable openings 13 through which water flowing from a tank 15 may escape, falling over the generator-absorber. The pipe 12 connected withan upwardly turned elbow 17 within the tank 15-and adapted to be closed by a valve 18. This valve is adapted to be raised and lowered by a link 19 connected with thelever 20 pivoted to the top of the tank and operated by a float 22.. The lever is adapted to be held in its raised and lowered position for the cooling and generation periods respectively by means of lateral projections 24 engaging latch hooks25 and 26. When the lever, is' in its upper position a suitable valve mechanism 28 is closed by a small weighted lever 29 operating downwardly on a collar on the valve stem at 30 to shut off the supply of gas while the cooling water is flowing through the pipe 12, as described. A suitable thermostatic rod (not shown) within the generator-absorber, acts on alever 32, extending over the edge of the tank and connected with a link 33. The end of this link is attached to the latch 26 and .acts to operate the same, allowing the float 22 to move upwardly by its buoyancy in the water within the tank 15. This water, during the generation period, stands at a level, where it overflows through a suitable opening at 35, being supplied through the water regulated valve 28.

Connected with the pipe 11 is api e leading to a' Bourdon spring 42, to which it is so connected that the pressure variationswithin the rcondenser may act on the Bourdon spring, causing a bending and straightening of it. As shown, this Bourdon spring member is mounted on a suitable bracket 43 having upwardly turned ears 44 carrying a small shaft 45 on which arepivbrought together otally mounted two levers 46 and47. -The lever 46 is connected with the end bf the Bourdon spring 42 by means of a link 48' pivotally'connected to an arm 49 of-this lever. The other arm of the lever 46 insulatingly carries an electric contact 50 connected with a wire 51. The lever 47 has an arm54 pivotally connected with a link 55 attached at its upper end to the second Bourdon spring'device 56, similar to the first, similarly mounted, and connected with a pipe 57 leading to a hermetically sealed tubeze58.

This tube is shown as mounted on the inside of the tank 15, where it is constantly immersed in the water within the tank 15. This tube 58, the pipe 57 and the Bourdon spring 56 have the air removed therefrom and are filled with ammonia gas or similar volatile fluid adapted to expand and contract in direct proportion to the tempera-. ture. Accordingly, the Bourdon spring 56 swings the-arm 47 about its pivot, giving it a vmovement directly proportional to the temperature of the water. This arm 47 also insulatingly carries a contact'point 60 connected with a suitable insulated wire 61 leadingto a battery 62,. which is connected a wire 63 with a solenoid 64. The-wire 51 leads to the other terminal of the solenoid, thus completing a circuit through the solenoid when the contacts 50 and 60 are by'a movement of the arms 46 and 47. Y

-The solenoid is shown as mounted on a suitable bracket 65 and its'core is pivotall connected with one arm of a bell crank 6 pivoted to the same bracket. and having its other arm connected to a link 68 attached to thelatch 25. Accordingly, as the pressure within the condenser falls to a predetermined point, the arm 47 will be swufig to bring the. contacts 50 and 60 together by the contraction of the Bourdon spring 42, closing the circuit through the solenoid and withdrawing the-latch 25 by means of the connections described. This allows the float ,22 and lever 20 to drop, closing the valve 18 and opening the gas valve 28, thus stopping the flow of water over the generator-absorber and resuming the heating of the same by an automatically'controlled device for turning -on the gas and relighting the burner. Such a gas controllingmechanism is shown and described in my application No. 837,118, filedMay 8th, 1914. 3 It will be seen from theforegoing description that I obtain a very accurate regulation of. the control of the cooling and heatingcmedia by providing a device having an intermediary operatable indirect relation to the temperature of the cooling water about-- the condenser, ahd providing an intermediary operated by a pressure device,-connected with the condenser, operated indirect proportion the pressure therein, theseintermediaries being arranged to cooperate to cause a change in the operation of the re frigerating apparatus. As the changes in pressure in the condenser determine the time of operation of the mechanism causing the change of operation, and as this pressure is directly proportional to the temperature of the cooling Water, any device which causes this operation in direct relation thereto greatly increases the efficiency of such a refrigerating apparatus. An apparatus so equipped is much more automatic than those heretofore used as it does not require adjusting for the various changes in seasons or other climatic conditions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination, with generating and absorbing means, a condenser and means for supplying cooling and heating media, of meansfor controlling the application of such supply to the refrigerating medium including a means variable in direct proportion to the temperature of the cooling medium.

2. The combination, with a refrigerating apparatus having generatingand absorbing means and acondenser, of means for controlling the succession of alternate operations of such apparatus including cooperating-intermediaries, one of said intermediaries being operated bycon'ditions within the condenser and the other by conditions in the media surrounding the condenser.

33. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a generator-absorber. condenser and means for supplying cooling and heatingmedia in a succession of alternate operations, an intermediary movable in direct proportion to the temperature of the cooling media, an intermediary operated by conditions within the condenser, and means causing a reversal of the operations consequent upon the intermediariesjcoming to positions at predetermined relations with each other.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a generator-absorber, condenser and means for supplying cooling and heating media in a succession of alternate operations, of means for changing the operation by controlling the alternations including an intermediary movable in direct proportion to the temperature of the cooling media, an intermediary operated by the conditions Within the condenser, and means causing the operation of said, controlling means actuated by the two intermediaries coming together.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a generator-absorber, condenser and means for supplying cooling media, means for supplying heating media, means controlling said supplying means to cause alternations of the same, a movable intermediary operated by the temperature of the cooling media, an intermediaryoperated by the pressure Within the condenser, and means for operating the means controlling the alternations consequent upon the intermediaries coming to positions in a predetermined relation with each other. i

6. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a generator-absorber, condenser and means for supplying cooling and heating media in a succession of alternate operations, latch mechanism controlling said means, of an intermediary operated by the temperature of the cooling media,an intermediary operated by the conditions in the condenser, electric contacts carried by said intermediaries, a source of current, and means operated thereby when said contacts are brought together to move said latch mechanism.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a generator-absorber, condenser, means for supplying cooling and heating media in a succession of alternate operations, means controlling said supplying means causing the same to alternate, a movable device operated by the conditions in the condenser, a closed receptacle within the cooling media, a pressure device in communication therewith, an electric mechanism adapted to cause an operation of the alternating controlling means consequent upona predetermined movement of said devices.

S. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a generator-absorber, condenser, means for supplying cooling and heating media in a succession of alternate operations, means causing the alternations including a movable member operated by the pressure in the condenser, a closed receptacle within the cooling media about the condenser, a pressure device in communication therewith, an electric mechanism having a circuit adapted to be affected to cause an operation of the means causing the alternations consequent upon a predetermined movement of said devices.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a generator-absorber, condenser, means for supplying cooling media, controlling means for causing said sup plying means to operate alternately including a pressure spring tube connected with the condenser, a second pressure spring tube, and a receptacle connected therewith and standing within the cooling media, electric contacts movable by said spring tubes, a source of current, and means for operating the controlling means consequent upon the contacts being brought together.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination, with a generator-absorber, condenser, means for supplying cooling media, controlling means for causing said supplying means to operate alternately includmg a pressure spring tube connected with p the condenser, a second pressure spfing tube, and a receptacle connected therewith and standing within the cooling media about the condenser, a pivoted arm connected with .each sprmg' tube, electric contacts carried by said arms, a source of current, connectlons between the contacts and the source of current, and means for operating the. controlling means consequent upon the contacts being brought together.

11. In an absorption refrigeration apparatus, the combination, wlth a receptacle for liquid refrigerant and an absorber, of means for supplying a 'cooling medium to the ab-' sorber, means for terminating the absorption period dependent upon .the exhaustion of liquid refrigerant from its receptacle, and automatically, variable means for causing 1 such termination to result when the condenser pressure has dropped a predeter mined amount irrespective of what the pressure was at the start of the drop.

Q 12. In an apparatus of the character described, "the combination, with generating and absorbing means, acondenser and means for supplying cooling media, of means for controlling the'application of such supply, to the refrigerating medium including a means operated by a, given amountof drop :j in the condenser pressure and irrespective of the In an absorption refrigeration apparatus, the combination with absorbing means degree of that pressure at'the beginning of the drop. a

I and a receptacle for a liquid refrigerant, of

a device adapted to be automatically set ;in

approximate correspondence with the pressure in the receptacle before, exhaustion of liquid refrigerant therefrom, a second dezvice adapted to have a movement resulting from the dropping in such pressure consequent upon exhaustion of liquid'refrigerant from said receptacle, and means conjointly' controlled by both devices forterminatixig" the absorption period.

14. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination, with generating and absorbing means, a condenser andmeansi for supplying cooling and heating media in.

p a succession of alternate operations, of I means for causing the alternations of the operations including one deviceoperating upon 1 the exhaustion of liquld refrigerant anda coacting. device automatically setfto com- ,pensate for differenttemperatures ofcooling water g v p 15. In an apparatus of the character de-' I scribed, the combination, with generating and I absorbingmeans, of a condenser, means for supplyingx cooling' medium thereto, means i ,forcontrol-linigrthe application of such supply to; the re, igerating; including one device set'corresponding t3 the temperature of the cooling medium, and another device having a movement vresulting from".

the drop in pressure consequent upon exhaustio a Y 16. In an absorption refrigeration apparatus, the combination, with generating and absorbing meansand a receptacle for liquid refrigerant, of'means for supplying heat for 1 17 In an absorption refrigeration apparatus, the combination, with absorbing means and a receptacle for liquidrefrigerant, of: means for supplying-a cooling medium for the absorption a device responsive to the pressure in send receptacle, a second automatically "variable device, and 'means conjoin'tly controlled by both -devi ces for terminatingjthe absorption period. 18. In an'absorption refrigeration appa- 'ratus, the combination, with generating and absorbing means and a receptacle for liquid refrigerant, of means for supplying heat for generation and means for supp ying a .coolin medium for-absorption, a flu1d pressure e'vice actuated by the reduction of pressure consequent upon the exhaustion'of;

iquid refrigerant from its receptacle, a second device, a thermostat in the-coolingim'edium for operating the seconddevicef-and means 'conjointly controlled by both devices for terminating an absorptlonperiod.

19. In an'absorption refrigeration appa-,

ratus, the combination of, a liquid refrigerant contamer,'.an absorber, meansifor sup? plying cooling medium thereto, a pressure responsive device communication with said container,a thermostat the cooling medium, and means for-terminating an absorption period'actuated conjointly by saidpressure responsive ljdevice and said thermostat:

; 20. man absorption refrigeration appas ratus, the combination of a liquid refrlgerant'container," an absorber, means for supplying cooling medium thereto, a .pressure responsive device in commumcation with said-j'container, a second device "apprenmatelyifvariable vcorninensurately with the pressure-obtained in the container preceding exhaustion "of 'liquidj refrigerant therefrom, I

and; means 'forjte'rminating an absorption period actuatedconjointly by 'said'devices.

-21. an absorption refrigeration apparatus, the;.combination, with generating an 'the'ccoling. medium and containing.

1 12b absorbing means and a receptacle for liquidrefrigerant,fof"means fon supplying heat v forgenerationandj means. for supplying a I cooling-medium. for absorption, ;a vessel logated? 1 a thermostatic liquid, two Bourdon springs, one of which isin'communication with said receptacle and the other with said vessel, and means for terminating an absorption period and startmg a generation period consequent upon the conjoint operation of both Bourdon springs.

GEORGE GASE.

Witnesses: v

Jns'rm W. Mum, {ARCHER W; RICHARDS. 

